Health Education Resources
- Details
- Category: Health Education Resources
As a congregation called to love our neighbors and seek justice, we recognize April as a season of awareness and action. Two important national observances this month invite us to reflect on health disparities that affect our community — and to ask what our faith compels us to do about them.
National Minority Health Month
National Minority Health Month (NMHM) 2026 is observed in April to raise awareness of health disparities affecting racial and ethnic minority populations and to promote health equity across the United States. NMHM was founded in 1998 by the National Minority Quality Forum and officially recognized by the U.S. Congress in 2002 as a national public health observance.
The initiative builds on decades of minority health advocacy, including early efforts by leaders like Booker T. Washington and the landmark 1985 Heckler Report — a federal study that documented racial and ethnic health disparities and issued a national call to action that still echoes today.
Black Maternal Health Week — April 11–17
One area where inequities are especially urgent is Black maternal health. Black women in the United States are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women — a disparity that persists regardless of income or education level. This is not inevitable. It is a justice issue.
Black women are 2–3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women in the U.S., according to the CDC — a disparity that holds across income and education levels.
Black Maternal Health Week (#BMHW26), observed every April 11–17, is a week-long campaign founded and led by BMMA, Inc. (Black Mamas Matter Alliance) to build awareness, foster activism, and amplify the voices and lived experiences of Black Mamas and birthing people. This year's theme — "Rooted in Justice & Joy" — marks the 10-year anniversary of the movement, celebrating the strength and resilience of Black-led perinatal, maternal, and reproductive health organizations that have cultivated change and healing across communities.
The week begins on April 11th to align with International Day for Maternal Health and Rights, joining dozens of global organizations in calling for the elimination of maternal mortality worldwide. The conversations and activities throughout the week center the values of birth justice and reproductive justice movements — acknowledging the enduring legacies of systemic harm while calling for a future rooted in restoration, justice, and joy.
How you can respond this April
- Pray — for Black mothers, birthing families, and the advocates working for their care
- Learn — visit blackmamasmatter.org to explore resources and this year's events
- Share — use #BMHW26 to amplify awareness on social media this week
- Give — consider supporting a local maternal health organization or doula fund in our community
- Show up — watch for upcoming events from our Health & Wellness Ministry this month
- Details
- Category: Health Education Resources
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month - a time to educate, support, and advocate for early detection and prevention.
Check out these valuable resources from the California Colorectal Cancer Coalition to learn more and help spread awareness.
You can also find out more at the California Dialogue on Cancer.
Let’s keep the conversation going, spread awareness, and encourage everyone to schedule their screenings. Together, we can make a difference!
- Details
- Category: Health Education Resources
Each March, landmarks around the world shine red to raise awareness for Myeloma Action Month. This global campaign—Light the World Red—builds toward World Myeloma Day on March 26, when iconic buildings and monuments illuminate the night sky to honor those living with multiple myeloma and to raise awareness about this often-overlooked disease.
Multiple myeloma is the second most common blood cancer in the world, yet many people have never heard of it. The disease affects plasma cells, an important part of the immune system that helps the body fight infection. Over time, multiple myeloma can weaken bones, damage organs, and compromise the body’s ability to stay healthy.
This issue is especially important in our community. Black Americans are diagnosed with multiple myeloma at twice the rate of other groups and experience significantly higher mortality rates. That reality calls for greater awareness, earlier detection, and stronger access to quality care.
While we cannot eliminate these disparities overnight, we can make meaningful progress by working together. Key steps include:
- Increasing community awareness and promoting health equity
- Expanding participation in clinical trials among minority populations
- Improving access to knowledgeable healthcare providers and quality care
Education and representation matter. When communities are informed and engaged, outcomes improve.
Together, we can help replace uncertainty with knowledge and fear with hope. Talk with your doctor. Learn the symptoms. Share information with family, friends, and neighbors.
When communities speak with one voice, awareness grows—and lives can be changed.
Let’s light the world red and stand together in hope.
